This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

Chapter 117 Zhong Bai Returns to Maoshan, the Twelfth Floor of the Daoist Temple

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

After saying goodbye to Zhang Zhiwei, Zhong Bai embarked on his journey back to Maoshan.

When Zhong Bai arrived at the gate of Maoshan, it was already dusk. Originally, Zhong Bai thought that only his master knew of his arrival. However, when Zhong Bai saw a group of Maoshan elders waiting for his return at the gate, and even the sect leader Xuanmingzi was there, Zhong Bai was a little stunned. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was flattered.

"Disciple Zhong Bai greets Master Uncle, all elders, and Master!"

After bowing respectfully, all the elders looked at him intently.

It wasn't until Xuanmingzi, the sect leader, spoke up with a smile: "Nephew Zhong Bai, I didn't expect that you would have already reached the Qi Refining Perfection stage in just half a year since you came down the mountain. We old folks have all heard about your deeds along the way. Tsk tsk tsk, indeed, heroes emerge from among the young, and the Yangtze River has a new generation of heroes!"

"Master Master, you flatter me. Zhong Bai is nothing like what you say. He has simply been doing his duty by stopping and starting along the way to slay demons and monsters."

"Very well, whatever you say, Nephew Zhong Bai, you're truly the envy of everyone!"

Zhong Bai smiled but didn't say anything.

......................................................

Night had fallen.

After greeting the elders of Maoshan, Zhong Bai followed Master Qian Yuan to the Law Enforcement Hall.

Upon entering the hall, one sees the Second Elder Liu Gang and the Third Elder Cui Chengdu sitting cross-legged.

"Zhong Bai greets his two senior uncles!"

"Don't be so polite, nephew. We're all family here. Sit down and let's talk."

Elder Liu Gang smiled casually.

"Listen to your uncle, sit down."

Master Qian Yuan then sat cross-legged on the futon. Zhong Bai nodded and sat down in the same way. A glint flashed in Master Qian Yuan's eyes, and he said, "Disciple, you have already reached the peak of Qi Refining. You must know that Foundation Establishment requires the construction of a Dao Platform in advance. But as for the Dao Platform... does disciple know the specifics? How to construct it?"

Zhong Bai was a little confused and shook his head.

"Reporting to Master, this disciple is not entirely clear."

I have only heard that breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage requires constructing a Dao Platform.

Although the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Technique also records how to construct a Dao Platform, this disciple has never tried it and therefore does not know.

Please enlighten me, Master!

"Indeed, the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Technique must contain records about constructing the Dao Platform, but what I want to talk about is not how to construct the Dao Platform, but its importance!"

His gaze turned serious, and Master Qian Yuan continued, "The difficulty for cultivators in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage lies in the Dao Platform. The Dao Platform has twelve layers, and only three layers can barely support the completion of the Foundation Establishment stage."

"The higher the level of your Dao Platform, the better your foundation. I want to tell you, my disciple, you are still young. If possible, try to raise the level of your Dao Platform before you begin foundation building."

“That’s right, nephew. The higher the Dao Platform, the greater the possibility of breaking through to the Golden Core True Monarch in the future. Your uncle is a living example. My talent is limited. Back then, I could only reach the third level of the Dao Platform before choosing Foundation Establishment. Now, decades later, I still cannot break through the threshold of the early stage of Foundation Establishment…”

Senior Brother Qian Yuan was at the seventh level of the Foundation Establishment stage of the Dao Platform realm, which allowed him to advance rapidly. Decades later, your master has already reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. This is the difference between Dao Platform realms.

When the Third Elder Cui Cheng said these things, he felt extremely distressed. Back then, he was too anxious to establish his foundation on the third level of the Dao Platform. However, there is no medicine for regret in this world. If Cui Cheng had known that he would not make any progress for decades, he might not have chosen to establish his foundation on the third level of the Dao Platform.

Master Qian Yuan took a deep breath. “Disciple, your Uncle Cui is an example, and so am I.”

Don't be fooled by the fact that I've reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. Back then, I only established my foundation on the seventh level of the Dao Platform. My potential in this life is limited, and I will never have the chance to witness the splendor of a Golden Core True Monarch again.

Your master master was only at the ninth level of the Dao Platform Foundation Establishment stage back then, and now, your master master master can break through the shackles of the Golden Core realm.

Your future shouldn't stop at the foundation stage, so my disciple, building the Dao platform requires painstaking effort. Be patient, understand?

Zhong Bai roughly understood the deeper meaning behind his master's and two uncles' words.

He nodded emphatically and then said, "Master, Uncle-Master, rest assured, Zhong Bai is not the kind of person who is short-sighted."

Constructing the Dao Platform is so important that Zhong Bai wouldn't have chosen to directly establish his foundation before reaching the ninth level of the Dao Platform. He even wanted to try and reach the twelfth level!

Zhong Bai's words brought smiles to the faces of True Man Qian Yuan, Second Elder Liu Gang, and Third Elder Cui Cheng.

They said all this just to make Zhong Bai value the future opportunity to become a Golden Core True Monarch, and now, seeing the perseverance and determination Zhong Bai has shown, they are relieved.

............................................................

As night fell, Zhong Bai returned to his private courtyard from the Hall of Law Enforcement.

Starting today, Zhong Bai will begin constructing his own Dao platform.

Sitting cross-legged on the futon, Zhong Bai concentrated and calmed his mind. The method of constructing the Dao platform was clearly recorded in the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Technique, and Zhong Bai began to try it out...

The true essence in his dantian slowly gathered together. The true essence first condensed and then compressed. The first layer of the Dao platform was the most crucial. If the foundation of the first layer of the Dao platform was not solid, it would not be able to support Zhong Bai in building more than nine layers.

Time passed slowly, and after a whole night, Zhong Bai saw that the model of the first layer of the Dao Platform in his dantian was complete. The next step was to polish and solidify the Dao Platform day by day.

Time flies by, and three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

When Zhong Bai reached the point where he could no longer compress and solidify the first level of the Dao Platform, he began constructing the second level.

Layer upon layer, time just slips away so quickly. During this time, Zhong Bai did try to speed things up using demon-slaying points.

The only benefit of using Demon Exorcism Points on the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Technique is that they transform the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into true essence. Furthermore, while improving one's understanding of the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Technique makes constructing the Dao Platform much easier, it cannot accelerate the process.

......................................................

Three years later.

Inside the Maoshan Law Enforcement Hall.

Master Qian Yuan sat in the main hall with a complicated expression, while Elder Liu Gang and Elder Cui Cheng paced back and forth.

"Senior Brother Qian Yuan, I wonder if Junior Nephew Zhong Bai will be able to succeed in one fell swoop this time..."

Liu Gang stopped, his expression a mixture of anticipation and worry.

"That's hard to say. The Dao Platform has been at the twelfth level for hundreds of years. No disciple of Maoshan has ever reached the twelfth level in the past hundred years. Even Uncle Master Ming was only at the tenth level."

"I originally thought Zhong Bai would be lucky to reach the tenth level of the Dao Platform, but I never expected him to give us such a glimmer of hope."

Shaking his head, Master Qian Yuan spoke with a hint of helplessness and confusion: "The Dao Platform has twelve levels!"

This is a height that even Master Qian Yuan himself could not have imagined.

"That's true. Junior Nephew Zhong Bai spent a full three years building the Dao Platform. I remember that when you, Senior Brother Qian Yuan, built your Dao Platform, it only took you one year."

A twelve-tiered platform—that's incredibly difficult!

No sooner had Cui Cheng finished speaking than a group of Maoshan elders, led by Xuan Mingzi, entered the Law Enforcement Hall.

"Master!"

The True Man of Qian Yuan inquired about etiquette.

Xuan Mingzi clearly wasn't concerned with these matters. He immediately asked with an anxious expression, "Junior Brother Qian Yuan, how is it? Is Junior Nephew Zhong Bai still attempting to break through to the twelfth level of the Dao Platform?"

Xuanmingzi's words made Qianyuan Zhenren nod with a complicated expression and say, "Yes, Headmaster, that brat Zhong Bai hasn't given up yet."

"Understood!"

Xuanmingzi exhaled a breath of turbid air. When Zhongbai Daotai reached the tenth level, both Qianyuan Zhenren and the sect leader Xuanmingzi felt that it was time to begin the foundation-building process.

However, Zhong Bai felt that he could still push forward, so he kept delaying until he reached the eleventh level of the Dao Platform. This was Zhong Bai's third attempt to break through and condense at the twelfth level of the Dao Platform.

"Senior Brother Qian Yuan, don't worry. Junior Nephew Qian He is not a reckless person. Since he is determined to break through to the twelfth level of the Dao Platform, we should believe that he can do it."

After saying this, Changsheng Zhenren looked up at the courtyard where Zhong Bai was in seclusion and continued, "Besides, even if it doesn't work out, Junior Nephew Qianhe is already at the eleventh level of the Dao Platform. After Foundation Establishment, reaching the Golden Core True Monarch level will be no problem."

"indeed……"

The other elders echoed, saying that the eleventh level of the Dao Platform was already very high, possessing the potential to break through to the Golden Core True Monarch level, and even having a chance to reach the Nascent Soul Dao Monarch level.

Why worry about it?
Zhong Bai, sitting in the courtyard, had no idea that his attempt to break through to the twelfth level of the Dao Platform would draw the attention of all the Maoshan elders.

At this moment, Zhong Bai's blood and qi surged forth, and as his blood and qi surged, the eleven-layered Dao Platform in his dantian emitted waves of pressure. The Dao Platform, constructed from extremely solid true essence, was indestructible, which made Zhong Bai's aura rise even higher.

As his true essence was rapidly depleted, the phantom of the twelfth-level platform became increasingly solid, and the pressure on Zhong Bai also increased.

If it weren't for his physical strength, Zhong Bai felt that just the eleventh level of the Dao Platform would have caused his dantian to explode.

"Just a little bit more..."

Zhong Bai gritted his teeth, struggling to hold on while also feeling a sense of anticipation.

Why did Zhong Bai insist on condensing twelve layers of the Dao Platform? It was because during the process of condensing the Dao Platform, Zhong Bai keenly discovered that after each layer of the Dao Platform was condensed, the area in his dantian used to accumulate true essence expanded by one layer. After the true essence flowed from the first layer to the eleventh layer, the strength of the true essence increased exponentially.

How could Zhong Bai miss such a good opportunity?

Let alone just three years, even if it were ten years, if he could still condense thirteen or fifteen layers, Zhong Bai would be willing to spend that time.

It's a pity that Zhong Bai's Divine Firmament Five Thunder Technique only records a maximum of twelve levels, and of course, his physical body couldn't withstand any higher levels.

"Soon, soon..."

While Zhong Bai was still gritting his teeth and persevering in condensing the twelfth layer, dark clouds gathered above Zhong Bai's courtyard, as if the heavens were not allowing Zhong Bai to condense the twelfth layer of the Dao Platform.

However, just as the dark clouds gathered, a massive, all-encompassing hand swept out from the Maoshan Sutra Repository, and in an instant, the dark clouds above Zhongbai Courtyard dispersed as if they had never been there at all...

Inside the Hall of Law Enforcement, True Man Qian Yuan sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes slightly closed, silently praying for Zhong Bai.

Every second that passed was agonizing. Three days later, when all the Maoshan elders felt that Zhong Bai still hadn't succeeded in condensing the energy,

Inside Zhong Bai's courtyard, the moment Zhong Bai perfectly condensed the twelfth level of the Dao Platform with his true essence, a terrifying fluctuation of true essence emanated from Zhong Bai's body!

An aura comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator soared into the sky!
"This is... the strength of true essence comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Nephew Zhong Bai, could it be that you really succeeded?"

The Immortal of Longevity was the first to react, his eyes shining with immense joy.

Sigh, I hope everyone had a great May Day holiday.

Waaah, writing novels is such a dismal job! So few monthly votes, so few subscriptions... hehehe, finding joy in hardship, haha, 10,000 words a day!

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(End of this chapter)